


Saving Agent Mulder - Again

by zibal_01



Category: The X-Files
Genre: M/M, Sexual Content, Slash, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-22
Updated: 2010-09-22
Packaged: 2017-10-12 02:22:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/119732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zibal_01/pseuds/zibal_01
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skinner has to agree to an unusual request when Mulder gets abducted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saving Agent Mulder - Again

** Saving Agent Mulder - Again **

Assistant Director Walter Skinner paced anxiously, waiting for his telephone to ring.  It had been four days since he had witnessed his subordinate, Agent Fox Mulder, being beaten then bundled, unconscious, into the trunk of a car; four days since a gun had been placed against his temple to prevent him from assisting his agent.  Since that day, Skinner had received a telephone call from Mulder's kidnappers at 16:00 on the dot.  He glanced at his watch; the telephone rang.

"Skinner," he answered immediately.

 _"Assistant Director Skinner our deadline is upon you.  Have you reached your decision?"_

Each day, Skinner had been given a decision to make by the time he was telephoned the next day.  The decision's, until the previous day, had all been work related.  The previous day had been personal.

"You will release Agent Mulder if I comply with your request?  And myself?"

 _"Yes."_

Skinner took a deep breath, "Then I'll do it."

 _"Yes, Assistant Director Skinner, we knew you would."_ The line went dead.  Skinner replaced the receiver and slumped down in his chair.  He ran a hand over his head, before removing his glasses and burying his head in his hands.  Skinner had done many things in the past to save his wayward agent's ass, but it had never, previously, been so personal.  He wondered if, when the time came, he would be able to go through with it.

Fox Mulder groaned.  He tried to move but found himself restrained.  Opening his eyes revealed nothing but darkness.  He was blindfolded, he realised.

"Nice to see you have finally decided to join us Agent Mulder."  The voice sounded distant, as if it was coming from a long way away.

"Who... who are you?" Mulder croaked.  "What do you want with me?"

"All in good time, Agent Mulder.  All in good time."  A click sounded then Mulder was returned to his dark, silent environment.

The passage of time ceased to exist for Mulder.  He had no idea how long had passed since he'd been taken.  Were the FBI looking for him?  Or, unaware that Skinner had witnessed his abduction, did Skinner think he had run off, chasing down another dead end on his quest?  He resigned himself to the "fact" that no-one knew about his predicament, that he was on his own, entirely at the mercy of the disembodied voice.

*****

"Is this the only way to have Agent Mulder returned to us, Walter?" Director Harrison enquired.

"I believe so, sir."

"And you really are willing to do what is being asked of you?"

Skinner shrugged, "I knew there would be a price to pay for Agent Mulder's return, and, although I'm not entirely comfortable with what I am being asked to do, I'll do it as Mulder is a valuable asset."

"Walter, he's been a thorn in your and the Bureau's side for years.  Always chasing ghosts, wasting Bureau funds..."

"Sir, I always signed off on his reports and expenses."

"I know, Walter," Harrison paused, "you always seem to be putting your career on the line for him.  How many times have you saved his ass?  Does he even know how protective you are of him?  When he storms into your office shouting the odds at you, does he even realise the sacrifices you've made for him?"

"No, sir, but I'm not giving up on him.  After everything I've sacrificed for him, I can't give up on him now," Walter stood.  "I hope you understand that, sir."

Harrison signed the assignment request and passed it over his desk to Skinner, "I just had to be sure you had thought this through properly."

"I have," Skinner took the signed form.  "Thank you, sir."  Skinner turned to leave.  As he placed his hand on the door handle, Harrison spoke.

"Walter," Skinner turned back.  "Bring both of you back safely."

Skinner nodded, his jaw set in a line of grim determination, "Yes, sir."

*****

It was late when Skinner finally left the office.  He headed to the parking garage oblivious to his surroundings, his mind a whirr of activity.  As he approached his car, three men stepped out of the shadows, dressed all in black.  Before he could react, Skinner found himself being restrained as something was placed over his mouth and nose.  Chloroform, his brain registered before darkness took him.

*****

"Assistant Director Walter Skinner, I never expected to have the pleasure of your company.  If I'd known all it would take to get you here was Fox Mulder, I would have taken him sooner."

"You have me at a disadvantage..." Skinner replied, coldly.

"Yes," the man smirked, "and I intend to keep it that way."

"Where's Mulder?" Skinner demanded.  "I want to see that he's ok."

"All in good time..." The man rounded his desk, and perched on the edge in front of Skinner.  "I have some questions for you first..."

"Get on with it then," Skinner growled.

"You're not a very patient man, are you?  I want to understand why you are willing to do this for Agent Mulder.  Would you do it for any of your other subordinates?  I doubt it.  So, what is it about Mulder?"

"I've invested too much time and effort keeping him in the FBI to give up on him now," Skinner retorted.

"I doubt that that is a good enough reason to do what you've agreed to do.  There has to be more, Walter... I can call you Walter, much, much more.  So what hold does he have over you?"

"Do you think I would do this for him if he had a hold over me?  Surely I would be more than happy to see that he stayed missing if that was the case."

"That would depend on what the hold he has over you is... and whether or not he actually knows he has that hold..."

"He's my subordinate.  I have a responsibility to him and for his safety," he paused, dropping his head.  When he looked up a shadow had crossed his face.  "I failed him when he was taken.  This is the least I can do for him."

"So it's guilt that brings you here?"

Skinner shrugged, "Not entirely.  He's an exceptional agent, one of mine, and I want him returned to me."

"Purely professional then, and yet you're willing to do something so personal, so intimate to help him.  Such loyalty is unusual these days, and it is rare for a superior to display such traits towards a subordinate," the man smiled, "especially a subordinate who causes him so much trouble."

"Someone has to watch his back, dig him out of the holes he gets himself into."

"And that's all it is?  Nothing more?"

"What are you suggesting?" Skinner growled.

"That you have feelings of a more personal nature for young Agent Mulder," the man suggested.  "I've had you both watched for a long time now.  There is definitely something more between you both than a professional working relationship - even if neither of you have realised it yet."

Skinner was silent.  Was it possible that this man knew how he felt about Mulder?  Or was it obvious from the actions he was taking for his subordinate?  Eventually he spoke, "Yes, I have feelings for Mulder, but I would never have acted on them."

The man nodded, a thoughtful look crossing his features, "That was what I wanted to hear."  Moving behind his desk, he pressed the intercom, "Bring Agent Mulder here."

Within minutes, the door opened and two men entered dragging Fox Mulder between them.  His face was bruised, and Skinner knew there would be more bruises hidden under his clothing.  He rose, approaching Mulder cautiously.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" Mulder croaked.

"Saving your ass as usual, Mulder," Skinner replied softly.

"How... how are you going to do that , sir?  You're here too."

"Don't worry.  Everything's going to be ok," Skinner reassured him.

"Well, gentlemen, this is very touching, but I believe we have a deal to uphold."  He turned to his men.  "Take them to the room."

They were taken to a room which contained only a double bed.  The door closed behind them, a click alerting them to it being locked; Skinner tried the handle anyway.  He turned back to find Mulder swaying gently, a look of confusion in his eyes.

"What deal, sir?"

Skinner ran a hand over his head, the other resting on his hip, "I think you need to sit down for this."  He helped Mulder onto the bed then began pacing the floor.

"Sir, please.  You're worrying me."

"Mulder, listen to me.  I didn't want to agree to it, but I had no option," he crouched in front of Mulder.  "I... I told him that... that I would make love to you..."

"WHAT!"

"I'm sorry," he grasped Mulder's face in his hands.  "I didn't know what else to do.  We had no idea where you were... When I was given the option of never seeing you again or making love to you..."

"You knew what you had to do," Mulder slumped onto the bed.  "So, how do we do this?"

"Are you sure?"

"I want out of here.  If this is the only way..."

Skinner dropped down beside Mulder, his dark eyes meeting Mulder's.  He maintained eye contact while running his fingers through Mulder's thick, dark hair.  When Mulder didn't flinch, Skinner moved closer, placing a chaste kiss on Mulder's lips.  He drew back, checking Mulder's reaction - and was surprised to find his eyes dark with lust.

"You ok with this, Mulder?" Mulder nodded; Skinner leant forward, kissing him deeper this time, his tongue parting Mulder's lips, exploring his mouth.  Mulder groaned, feeling his body responding to Skinner's kiss.  He placed a hand on Skinner's hip, pulling him closer.  It was all the encouragement Skinner needed.  He slid a hand under Mulder's shirt.  Mulder froze momentarily, then relaxed into the touch.

"Sir... is now a bad time to tell you that... that I've wanted this for a long time..."

Skinner sat up, startled by this revelation, "Really?"  He realised that Mulder had closed his eyes, probably expecting Skinner to explode.  Instead, Skinner bestowed a kiss of such gentleness and caring that it, quite literally, took Mulder's breath away.

"Wow," Mulder muttered when the kiss broke.  Skinner brushed an errant strand of hair out of Mulder's eyes, his smile lighting up the room.  "I guess that means you too?"

"I could never tell you, Mulder," Skinner confirmed.  "It would have been inappropriate, and I didn't want to be accused of using my position to manipulate you into a relationship."

"Did you know how I felt?"

Skinner shrugged, "I caught glimpses of it when you let your guard down, but that was only for seconds at a time."

"I thought you'd go ballistic if you knew," Mulder smiled.  "Figured it would have given you the excuse you needed to fire my ass."

"The time and effort I've put into keeping your ass in the Bureau that would have been the last thing I would have done," Skinner's fingers twined in Mulder's hair.  "But, you weren't to know that, were you?  I couldn't afford to even give you a glimpse of how I was feeling.  It probably would have cost me my job if I'd been wrong about you."

"What do we do now?"

"Now, Mulder, we seal the deal, if that's ok with you, and get us out of here."

*****

Their lovemaking was gentle, a slow climb to an explosive climax.  They lay together, in a sated pile of tangled limbs, Mulder's back to Skinner's chest.  Skinner's fingers stroked gently on Mulder's thigh as he placed soft kisses on Mulder's neck.

Mulder could feel himself relaxing under Skinner's caress, and soon drifted to sleep.  When his breathing became shallow, Skinner placed one final kiss before murmuring, "I love you, Fox Mulder."


End file.
